Automatic receptacle filling apparatus



' 23, 1940. .1, w. JAMES ATOMATIC RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 21, 1938 wy- Je 41" 62 60 J7 lll/lll Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS f Application October 21, 1938, Serial No. 236,353

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to container lling mechanism and particularly to means for automatically lling a container from a source f fluid supply.

The invention is particularly designed for the automatic filling of receptacles such as water cans commonly used in automobile service stations for filling automobile radiators, although it is adaptable to the automatic filling of any type of receptacle with a desir-ed liquid from a suitable source of supply.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a stand or support for a receptacle to be iilled or maintained full of water or other fluid which is equipped with means for automatically turning on the supply of fluid to an empty or artially filled receptacle when the latter is placed in position on the stand or support and which will automatically shut off the supply when the receptacle is filled to the desired level.

Another object is to provide a device of this character with a spring sustained support for a receptacle to be filled and valve meansconnected to the support which will be opened to supply liquid to the receptacle when the latter is placed on the support and which Will be closed by the weight of the receptacle and liquid when the latter has been illed to the desir-ed level.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically filling receptacles including a receptacle stand embodying a valve mechanism with a platform supported by the stem of the valve mechanism, spring means for closing said valve and balancing the weight of the platform on the stem and fluid discharge means arranged to discharge duid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said stand, said valve being arranged to open automatically under the weight of a partially filled or empty receptacle placed on said stand to supply liquid to said receptacle and arranged to close automatically to cut 01T the flow of liquid to the receptacle when the latter has been filled to a desired level.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a receptacle lling stand embodying the invention; f

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the valve means;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional View through a modified form of the invention; andY Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the numeral 5 indicates a tubular base which may be either cylindrical or square in cross section.- Mounted within the base member 5 is a valve body 6 formed with a mounting arm 'I which is secured to the inner side of the base by suitable means such as rivets 8. The valve body 6 is formed with a web 9, dividing the interior of the body into inlet and outlet chambers I 0 and I I, respectively, The web 9 has a central port I2 providing a passage between the chambers IIl and II and is formed with oppositely disposed valve seats I3 and i4 at opposite ends of the port I2.

A vertically disposed sliding valve stem I5 extends axially through the port I2 and is provided with valve discs I6 and II which are secured on said stem in spaced relation by means of clamping nuts I8 and I9 threaded on the stem. 'Ihe valve discs are disposed on opposite sides of the ported web 9 and so spaced as to permit appreciable axial motion of the stem I5 between the opening of one and the closing of the other on its seat. The discs are provided withresilient packing faces 2 1 and 22 for engagement With the seats I3 and I4, respectively.

The upper end of the valve body is closed by a threaded cap 23 provided with a central aperture 24 for passage of the upper end 25 of the valve stern I5 and with an annular interiorly threaded flange 26 surrounding the aperture 24. The stem portion 25 passes through a gland nut 21 threaded into the flange 26 to compress packing material 28 around the stem. The gland nut serves as a guide for the valve stem.

A platform 29 is mounted on the upper end 25 of the valve stem I5 Within the upper end of the base 5 and has a depending ange 30 which serves as a guide for the platform as it moves up and down with the valve stem during operation of the device. The platform 29 serves as a support for the receptacle to befilled, which is illustrated as a radiator iilling can 3|.

The lower end of the valve body is formed with anaxially disposed tubular extension 32 which forms a housing for a scale spring 33. The spring 33 is a coil spring andsurrounds the lower end of the valve stem I5, the latter extending axially through the extension 32 and through a plug 34 threaded into the lower end of the extension. 'I'he plug 34 which acts asa guide for the lower end of the valve stem and also as an abutment for the lower end of the spring 33 is adjustable to vary the tension on the spring. The upper end of the spring 33 bears against the back of the valve disc I6 and normally urges the latter to its seat to close the passage through the port l2. The escape of liquid through the lower end oi the extension 32 is prevented by a cap 35 threaded on the end thereof.

The valve body 5 is provided with an inlet port 35 opening into the chamber ID and with an outlet port 31 opening from the chamber II. A section of pipe 38 connected at one end to the inlet porJ extends laterally through the side of the base 5 and is connected to a source of water supply, such as the water valve 39 by means of a flexible hose 49 or other pipe connection. A section of pipe fil connected at one end to the outlet port 3? likewise extends laterally through the side of the base 5 and is connected to a discharge pipe d'2 which extends upwardly and terminates in a spout 43 disposed to discharge into a receptacle placed on the platform 29. It will be noted that the pipes 38 and 4l are disposed opposite the mounting arm 1 so that they aid in supporting the valve assembly in the base.

In order that the spring 33 may be made as heavy as desired to support the weight of liquid in the receptacle and insure that the valve will not shut oif the supply until the receptacle is lled to the desired level, it is sometimes desirable to provide a lighter spring 44 for balancing the weight of the platform 29 and retaining the valve I6 on its seat. Such an auxiliary spring may be mounted between the gland nut 21 and a iitting 45 threaded on the upper end of the valve stem and to which the platform 29 is secured as by soldering or welding.

When the auxiliary spring 44. is employed, the main spring 33 will be adjusted so that it will not come into play iuitil the valve has been opened by the weight of a receptacle placed on the platform 29.

The operation of the form of the invention thus far described is as follows: The plug 34 is adjusted to tension the spring 38 according to the amount of water to be maintained in the receptacle 3l. The inlet pipe 38 is then connected to the source of water supply and the water is turned on. At this time, the valve disc I6 is against seat i3 by reason of the action of springs ill and 33 and the head of water in the chamber i3. When the receptacle 3|, either empty or partially full, is deposited on the platform 29, the weight thereof depresses the valve stein and moves the disc I5 from its seat I3, as seen in Fig. 1, allowing water to iiow through the port l2 and out to the spout 43 into the receptacle. As the receptacle is filled, the tension of the spring 33 is oveicome by the increased weight on the platform 29 until the desired level is reached, as determined by the adjustment of the spring, when the disc I1 will engage the seat I4 to close the port I2 and thus shut oif the supply of water to the receptacle. W'hen the receptacle is lifted off of the platform 23, the springs 33 and 44 snap the stem I5 up wardly and return the valve I6 to its seat. This operation is repeated each time the water can is returned to its stand so that it will always be found full when needed.

The modied form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is designed for use where it is desired to suspend the receptacle in an elevated position. in this form of the invention, the valve casing 513 is provided with an inlet port 5l which is threaded directly ont'o a water pipe 52 extending from a Wall fitting 53 so that the water supply connection supports the entire assembly. In this form of the invention, the working parts of the valve are of the same construction as those shown in Fig, l and are designated by the same reference characters so that a detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

The cap 55 of the valve casing 5U is provided with a post 56, to the upper end of which one end of a lever 51 is pivotally connected as at The pivot 58 is disposed on a horizontal axis :uid the lever 51 extends forwardly over the top of the Valve casing and terminates at its free end in abail hook 59. The lever 51 is formed with a longitudinal slot 60 between its ends, the slot being in the portion of the lever which is directly over the valve body 59. The upper end 5I oi the valve stern I5 is provided with a forked terincl 52 connected to the lever 51 by means of a roller 63 which rides in the slot S0 and is journalled between the arms of the forked terminal 52.

The lever 51 constitutes the support for filling can or other receptacle 64 provided with a bail 65 by which it is suspended from the arm.

The valve casing 50 is provided with a forwardly directed outlet port 66 to which a spout B1 is connected to discharge water into the can 64 suspended from the lever 51,

The operation of the modification just de scribed is substantially the same as in the first form, the can to be filled is hung on the bail hook 59 of the lever arm 51 and the weight thereof depresses the lever and through its connection with the valve stern, the latter is shifted to move the valve IE from its seat to permit water to iiow from the inlet chamber I0 through I2 and spout 61 to the receptacle. As tho rea ceptacle iills, the increased Weight on the lever 51 will depress the stem I5 against the tension of springs 33 and 44 until the valve disc I1 engages its seat I4 to cut off the water supply. When the lled can is lifted from the lever 53'. the springs 33 and 44 will quickly shift the stem to seat the Valve disc I6.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described with particular reference to the filling of cans or buckets with water, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited to such use. It will also be understood that Various other modifications and changes in the details of construction and operation may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scopeI of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Receptacle supporting and filling means of the character described comprising a valve rnechanism including a reciprocable valve stein, spring means for shifting said stem to a valve closing position in one direction, receptacle supporting means connected to said valve stem and operative under the influence of the weight of a receptacle placed on said support to shift the stem against the action of said spring means from said valve closing position through an intermediate valve opening position to a valve closing position in the opposite direction, and means for delivering iiuid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said support, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle support and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to resiliency sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially filled receptacle.

2. Receptacle supporting and filling means of the character described comprising a valve mechanism including a reciprocable valve stem, spring means for shifting said stem to a valve closing position in one direction, receptacle supporting means connected to said valve stem and operative under the influence of the weight of a receptacle placed on said support to shift the stem against the action of said spring means from said valve closing position through an intermedate valve opening position to a valve closing position in the opposite direction, means for delivering fluid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said support, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle support and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to resiliently sustain said stern in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially filled receptacle, and means for adjusting the tension of said heavy spring section.

3. Means for automatically filling receptacles comprising a valve mechanism including a reciprocable stem member, a receptacle supporting element supported by said valve stem, spring means for shifting said stem to Valve closing position in one direction and for balancing the Weight of said receptacle supporting element, fluid discharge means arranged to deliver fluid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said support, said valve being arranged to open automatically when said stem is shifted under the Weight of a receptacle placed on said support to supply fluid to said receptacle and arranged to close automatically to cut off the flow of fluid to the receptacle when the stem is shifted a further distance under the increased weight of the receptacle when the latter has been filled to a desired level.

4. In receptacle supporting and filling means of the character described. a valve mechanism comprising a vertically reciprocable valve stem, spring means normally urging said valve stem to a raised valve closing position, a receptacle platform carried by the upper end of said valve stem operative under the influence of the weight of a receptacle placed thereon to depress saidstem against the action of said spring means from said raised valve closing position through an intermediate valve opening position to a lowered valve closing position, and means for delivering fluid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said platform.

5. A combined receptacle stand and filling mechanism comprising a support, a valve member carried by said support, said valve member including a reciprocable valve stem and alternately seating valve discs carried by said stem controlling the passage through said valve, a receptacle platform carried by said stem, spring means normally urging said valve stem in one direction to the seating position of one of said discs, means for delivering fluid from said valve into a receptacle placed on said platform, said stem being movable under the weight of a receptacle on said platform to unseat the last mentioned disc against the tension of said spring to deliver fiuid controlled by said valve to said receptacle and movable further to seat the other of said discs to cut off the flow of fluid through said valve when said receptacle has been filled to a desired level.

6. lA combined receptacle stand and filling mechanism comprising a support, a valve member carried by said support, said valve member including a reciprocable valve stem and alternately seating valve discs carried by said stem controlling the passage through said valve, a receptacle platform carried by said stem, spring means normally urging said valve stem in one direction to the seating position of one of said discs, means for delivering fluid from said valve into a receptacle placed on said platform, said stem being movable under the Weight of a receptacle on said platform to unseat the last mentioned disc against the tension of said spring to deliver fluid controlled by said valve to said receptacle and movable further to seat the other of said discs to cut off the iiow of fiuid through said valve when said receptacle has been filled to a desired level, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle support and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to sustain said stem in the intermediate Valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially filled receptacle.

'7. In receptacle supporting and filling means of the character described7 a valve mechanism comprising a vertically reciprocable valve stem, spring means normally urging said valve stem to a raised valve closing position, a receptacle platform carried by the upper end of said valve stem operative under the influence of the weight of a receptacle placed thereon to depress said stem against the action of said spring means from said raised valve closing position through an intermediate valve opening position to a lowered valve closing position, and means for delivering fluid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said platform, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle platform and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially filled receptacle.

- 8. A combined receptacle stand and filling mechanism comprising a support, a valve member carried by said support, said valve member including a reciprocable valve stem and alternately seating valve discs carried by said stem controlling the passage through said valve, a receptacle platform carried by said stem, spring means normally urging said valve stem in one direction to the seating position of one of said discs, means for delivering fluid from said valve into a receptacle placed on said platform, said stem being movable under the weight of a receptacle on said platform to unseat the last mentioned disc against the tension of said spring to deliver fluid controlled by said valve to said receptacle and movable further to seat the other of said discs to cut off the flow of fiuid through said valve when said receptacle has been filled to a desired level, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle support and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to resiliently sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the Weight of an empty or partially filled receptacle, and means for adjusting the tension of said heavy spring section.

9. In receptacle supporting and filling means of the character described, a valve mechanism comprising a vertically reciprocable valve stem,

spring means normally urging said valve stem to a raised valve closing position, a receptacle platform carried by the upper end of said valve stem operative under the influence of the weight of a receptacle placed thereon to depress said stem against the action of said spring means from said raised valve closing position through an intermediate valve opening position to a lowered valve closing position, means for delivering fluid controlled by said valve to a receptacle placed on said platform, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle platform and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to resiliently sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially iilled receptacle, and means for adjusting the tension of said heavy spring section.

10. Automatic receptacle filling mechanism comprising a valve means including a reciprocable valve stem, spring means for shifting said stem to a valve closing position in one direction, a receptacle hanger comprising a pivoted lever connected with said valve stern and operative under the inuence of the weight of a receptacle placed on said hanger to shift the stem from valve closing position against the action oi said spring means through an intermediate valve opening position to a Valve closing position in the opposite direction, and means for delivering fluid controlled by said valve means to a receptacle placed on said hanger, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle hanger and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to resiliently sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially iilled receptacle.

1l. Automatic receptacle lling mechanism comprising a valve means including a reciprocable valve stem, spring means for shifting said stem to a valve closing position in one direction, a receptacle hanger comprising a pivoted lever connected with said valve stein and operative under the influence of the weight of a receptacle placed on said hanger to shift the stem from valve closing position against the action of said spring means through an intermediate valve opening position to a valve closing position in the opposite direction, means for delivering fluid controlled by said valve means to a receptacle placed on said hanger, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle hanger and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially iilled receptacle, and means for adjusting the tension of said heavy spring section.

l2. Receptacle filling mechanism of the character described comprising a receptacle supporting member, a valve member for controlling the flow of fluid to a receptacle disposed on said supporting member, said valve member including a reciprocable stem and alternately seating valve elements carried by said stem controlling the passage through said valve, spring means normally urging said valve stem in one direction to the seating position of one of said elements, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle supporting member and retain the valve stern in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted resiliently to sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the weight of an empty or partially lled receptacle, and a connection between said stem and said receptacle supporting member whereby the latter is sustained by said spring means and whereby the weight of a receptacle placed on said supporting member urges said stem in the other direction to the seating position of the other of said valve elements against the action of said spring means.

13. Receptacle filling mechanism of the character described comprising a receptacle supporting member, a valve member for controlling the flow of iuid to a receptacle disposed on said supporting member, said valve member including a reciprocable stern and alternately seating valve elements carried by said stern controlling the passage through said valve, spring means normally urging said valve stem in one direction to the seating position of one of said elements, said spring means including a light spring section adapted to balance the weight of the receptacle supporting member and retain the valve stem in closing position and a heavy spring section adapted to sustain said stem in the intermediate valve opening position under the Weight of an empty or partially filled receptacle, means for adjusting the tension of said heavy spring section, and a connection between said stem and said receptacle supporting member whereby the latter is sustained by said spring means and whereby the Weight of a receptacle placed on said supporting member urges said stem in the other direction to the seating position of the other of said valve elements against the action of said spring means.

JOHN W. JAMES.

CERTIFICTE OF CORRE() Tl ON Patent No. 2,198,509. April 25, 19m.

JOHN W. JAMES.

L lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent. requiring correction as follows r Page 2, seeond Column, line Yip, claim l, forv "resiliency" read resiliently-3 and that the said` Letters lPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Office signed and. sealed this 18th day of June, A. D. 119Mo. v

Henry Van Arsdale,`

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents'.

CERTIFICATE 0E CORRECTION. p Patent No, 2,193,509. April 25, 19m,

JOHN W. JAMES. t It `is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patentvrequiring correction as followsz-Page 2, second Column, line Yip, claml, for "resiliency" read --resliently; and that the said` Letters `Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the reeord of the case in the Patent Office.

signd and. sealed this 18th day of June, A'. D. 19m.

Henry Ven Arsdelle,` (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patente. 

